FRESH INK

How to Make Cháoshàn Porridge Like Cháoshàn Rén

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Wednesday, March 30, 2016

under Food by Quintana Hoyne

Cháoshànporridge, or Cháoshàn Zhōu (潮汕粥) stems from the eponymous town in Guǎngdōng Province, the kind of place where people still slide live, flinching prawns down their throats without batting an eye.

Porridge, Cháoshàn-style especially, is a bit of a classic Chinese social stunt. Parties talk while the porridge cools, letting the saline aroma of fresh seafood ingredients stewed to perfection fill the air. The porridge part of the dish is simple: long rice floating in boiling water, kept at a solid-to-liquid ratio of 1:4, slow-cooked and preserved hot in a claypot until a family or group of friends finish conversing over it.

And it all can be prepared in less than twenty minutes.

When asked what his favorite variation of Cháoshànporridge is, the Executive Chef at CháoshànPorridge Casserole throws his head back in laughter before answering with a wide and toothy smile, "Plain laa." Chef Xiè Yánjūn (谢炎君) hails from Cháoshànitself. He is an expert with bird's nests, abalones, and other sea delicacies, and has two decades of experience as a Seafood Chef at many 5-star hotel restaurants.

Chef Xiè cannot stress enough that sophisticated palettes should always discern the natural taste of foods separate from all the fancy shebang. And that goes double for something as straightforward as Cháoshànporridge.

If you're a fan of quick, easy, and delicious seafood dishes that'll impress your Chinese (or even Cháoshàn) friends, here's one of Chef Xiè's own recipes.

1. Wash rice three or four times, and let it rest in water for half an hour. 2. Rice in a claypot (preferable! or a casserole), and bring it to boil. 3. 7-8 minutes in, add a tsp of peanut butter sauce and a tsp of lard. 4. 2 minutes later, add your choice of seafoods and/or water produce — prawns, crabs, or slices of raw fish— only rule, make sure it’s fresh. 5. Instead of loads of spices, use a handful of dried scallops and champignon slices to bring out taste. 6. Wait for 2-3 minutes, then add salt, sliced fresh ginger, fish sauce, and store-bought preserved Chinese cabbage (optional). 7. Then 5-6 minutes later, your pot of finished. Add ground white pepper and diced celery to taste.